Bridging the Gap: The Development of Young Structural Engineers
IStructE Young Members Queensland:
Trent Byrne – WSP Parsons BrinckerhoffToby Hodsdon – Bligh TannerTess Linger – ArupSusanna Wills – MPN ConsultingLauren Best – JacobsLiam Sherman – Bligh Tanner
A little about the presenter:
Graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering
Participated in the IStructE YMQ committee since 2014 and is the Secretary for 2016.
Structural Design Engineer for WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Enjoys all aspects of engineering consultancy, from early structural scheming to inspecting the construction.
Career goal is to be involved in the design of an iconic tall building.
Currently working towards achieving chartered status.
In a nutshell…
As students leave the structured, academic environment of university and enter the
demanding construction industry as a Structural Engineer, they are faced with an
initial steep learning curve that will shape and span their entire career.
There is a need for a comprehensive, structured training and development pathway,
for both hard and soft skills, for the continual progression of young engineers and the
wider Structural Engineering profession.
Introduction:
What it takes to be a Structural Engineer
General Vs Specific Degrees
Technical and soft skill training
The role of the IStructE Young Members Queensland Group
Current graduate reflection
Common views and opinions of Senior Engineers
What it takes to be a Structural Engineering Graduate:
Scheme design using Structural Engineering principles
Determining appropriate load paths
Critical thinking
Engineering judgement
Safety in design
Project planning
Management
Understanding of contracts
Client service
Communication
Pride and quality in work produced
General Vs Specific Degrees:
‘Jack of all trades, yet a master of none’
Appreciation of all engineering disciplines, architects, contractors and project stakeholders
Real world design experience essential
Internal Training:
Predominantly by larger companies
Graduate programs
Benefits both the company and the graduate
Skills acquired often can assist in the Chartership journey
External Training:
Training events provided by industry organisations
For example: EA, IStructE, CIA, ASI
May be perceived as expensive to employers
Potential for more training opportunities to be targeted towards less experienced engineers
Post-Graduate Short Courses:
Requires collaboration between industry and universities
Prestressed Concrete short course by Dr Peter Dux
Project Management short course at the Queensland University of Technology
Potential for a future consortium of engineering companies and universities
Online Learning Tools:
IStructE’s Structural Behaviour Course
A B
C D
Personal Study:
Learning shouldn’t start at 9am and finish at 5pm
‘The day you stop learning, should be the day you retire’
IStructE’s ‘The Structural Engineer’ magazine is a great way to keep up to date with the Structural Engineering profession
The Role of the IStructE Young Members Queensland:
IStructE YMQ is a committee of graduates and students set up to promote Structural Engineering and membership of the IStructE
By running a variety of interesting, relevant learning and networking events
Panel events, site visits, technical seminars and networking events
IStructE YMQ initiative of holding Chartership exam preparation courses in 2017
Anecdotal Review:
By Liam Sherman, a Graduate Structural Engineer…
University to workplace transition can be daunting
Learning curve and challenges faced beneficial in long run
Technical v soft skills development process
External Training provide alternate learning paths – i.e. seminars
Importance of Senior Engineers – small things make the big
difference early on
Chartership pathways giving structure to learning
Common Views and Opinions of Senior Structural Engineers:
Embracing technology and automation of calculations
Chartership is very important
Senior Engineers simply giving their time to aid in the development of Graduate Engineers
Conclusion:
Continual formalised training and self improvement is essential
Greater connection between academia and industry required
The future of Structural Engineering will be best served with a concerted effort to mentor, train and support young Structural Engineers.
Acknowledgement:
I would like to thank all co-authors for their tremendous effort:
Toby Hodsdon, Tess Linger, Susanna Wills, Lauren Best & Liam Sherman
Any Questions?
Thank you for your time
